Red cups and secrets
by IttsyBitsyB
Summary: A random chance encounter at Matty's kegger proves red cups and secrets don't mix
1. Chapter 1

Here I was at my first big blow out as an actual official couple. And while it was Matty's party, I wasn't there as his girl. I was Jake's. Had been for just over a month now and still couldn't stop smiling when he'd look at me. He'd been a total bright and shining white knight these past weeks. Things at home had been kinda Cold War. I'd chickened out about actually confronting my Mom about the stationary. I just couldn't, couldn't even face it. How do you ask your Mom if she really hates you that much? I hadn't even told Ming or Tamara, it was just too awful. So, relations with the 'rents were frozen in hostile territory. Since the formal, my life was a bizarro flip, with dating Jake, school was actually an escape instead of punishment.

Jake Rossati was that kind of guy everybody liked. The friendly he brought out in people was apparently contagious, as his girlfriend, I'd caught it. Even the pep squad bitches had mostly mellowed to just catty. Except for Sadie but you can't expect the devil to ever mellow. Jake was honest, dorky funny, damn cute and mine. Being together really was easy. Not to mention how his kisses would curl my toes and what went on after kisses, even more. Well, for as far as we'd gotten. We were still taking the slow road on that. In fact, it all should have been high school fairytale. If it weren't for the portion of my heart that had declared it was Matty country forever. I cared about Jake, really liked him, but it didn't erase Matty.

The ache every time I saw him was manageable. We hadn't spoken directly to each other since formal, much less been alone. It was easier than you'd think. Matty was pretty good at avoid areas where he'd be near Jake and I together. He'd been avoiding eating lunch near us until Jake called him out on it. It was classic crazy helpful Jake, trying to cheer up his best friend, so Matty had given in. Now lunch was a secretly awkward event for me. I'd be sitting at the same table as Matty, conversations going on around us but never really between us. Right up until we'd catch each other's eyes. I wasn't counting the number of times he looked at me anymore. Too much of a huge step back to a time I was supposed to be moving on from. Eye-mail as communication was just a bit confusing. I wasn't sure what we were saying anymore. I think angry, sad, sorry, missing and maybe once, on a day with a particularly short skirt of mine, a moment of just plain horny? But that was the past my head would remind me.

And as great as I feel with Jake, seeing Matty with other girls is still painful. There had been a few. He was the full blown Hook Up King lately. The first time I saw him kissing one of the pep squad bitches, I'd actually had to run to the bathroom for some way drawn out ugly crying. But the pep squad skanky was still better than watching Sadie hang all over him. She was still a diva bitch of Donald Trump proportions but not directing it my way much. The apparent diminished status in Matty's attention probably went a long way to that. That and the news of Matty's coming kegger. The McKibben Brew Bash, hosted by both McKibben brothers, was taking on legendary status and it hadn't even happened yet! I didn't know why but this week at lunch Matty had even made a big gesture out of inviting Jake and I. Jake was so excited, saying how great it was what with wanting his girlfriend and best friend to get along. It was one of those many moments I desperately wished Jake knew but couldn't figure out how on earth to tell him now. I keep telling myself that maybe, since it's the past, it doesn't matter? Which was also a useful rationalization for not looking deeper at my mixed up heart. So here I am, at Matty's house, red cup in hand, doing my best to have an irresponsible teenage Saturday night.

Most of the party guests were in the back of the house with a massive game of beer pong the center of attention. It'd been fun for a little awhile but the more red cups of the very spiked punch that went back, the more PDA friendly Jake got. If we hadn't had a particular audience member, I wouldn't have minded. But I couldn't ignore the look on Matty's face during Jake's celebratory neck nuzzle after winning yet another round. "Be back in a bit" I smiled at him. "You ok?" his brow wrinkling just as bit as he asked. "Sure, just taking a short commercial break", I answered. "Don't go far!" Jake laughed back. Letting me go, he squeezed my hand and then turned around yelling, "SO who's next!" I slipped back into the crowd. It wasn't helping my totally moved on status to have my heart aching at that look in Matty's eyes. It was way too close to that moment at the formal as he left. That had given me nightmares. Between that and the vodka, it all seemed a too much. Bit too loud, bit too blurry and a bit too much Sadie hanging all over Matty. There was no moving on in the entire universe that would make that horror show ignorable. As I weaved through the crowd, I passed Tee and Ricky arguing again. She'd stopped long enough to flash me a huge smile, so I knew it wasn't serious. It was hard to tell flirty and fighting apart with those two sometimes.

The stairs seemed a good escape route and, thankfully, the party mayhem hadn't moved upstairs much. I wandered down the hall to find myself face to face with Matty, sort of. A big framed school picture of Matty's complete with killer smile and, maybe it was the vodka punch, but I was smiling back. Even in photo form, that smile was a deadly weapon. A huge bang accompanied by drunken cheering went up from the kitchen below, reminding me why I'd come up here. There was a bang on closed door on my right, immediately followed by a couple of voices laughing and yelling at someone to move their ass so they could open this stupid bathroom. Looking around quickly, I dashed to the end of the hall and pushed open the door to my left, disappearing into the quiet and dim light.

Two things hit me almost instantly, I'd certainly found the alone I'd been craving. It just happened to be in Matty's room. No mistaking it, what with the hockey gear seeming to be nesting all over, the pictures, even the pile of laundry pushed next to the small couch. The kind of pre-party clean up pile I could totally see him doing. I could see him in every inch of the room. I froze, the part of me screaming to walk out wasn't winning the argument with the other part that was plain and simply curious as all hell. During our whole secretship, I'd never actually been in here. It was a bit bigger than I'd imagined. Add in the dim light and it felt a bit like I was walking into a secret temple. A temple to the guy to who I'd lost both my virgin status and heart.

I was walking between the bed and couch toward the desk, the small lamp on it the only light in the room. His closed laptop was perched in the center of a mess of papers, books and who knows what's else. His plaid jacket was tossed over the chair and I couldn't help but reach out to touch it. It's not like I could forget what he wore that first night he came knocking at my bedroom door. My picture toting hero, he'd been my fantasy come to amazing sexy life. As I pulled the jacket close I realized I could smell him on it. That totally unique Matty smell, part soap and part him, and it was like hitting a wall. A wall of throat closing, stomach dropping, total emo-tastic sadness. I'd heard before about smell being able to emotion jack a person, but I'd never lived it like this. I was remembering that earthshaking moment of that first kiss post-accident in high definition memory. I could almost actually feel his lips on mine. The sadness punching me in the chest was the ugly truth that it was totally and forever in the past.

The soft bounce of the door off the wall was like a gunshot and I spun around, still holding the jacket. Standing in the doorway, the light in the hall haloing around him like some special effect, was Matty. My Matty McKibben, shirtless and, from the look on his face, as shocked as me. Damn.


	2. Chapter 2

e started to slowly walk toward me, passing out of the hallway lights into the dim glow of the bedroom but only far enough to toss the tee shirt balled in his hand toward the pile. With a tilt of his head, he simply asked, "So, Jenna, what, uh, are you doing in here?" It wasn't the question that hit me so much as how he asked it. For the first time in ages, it was in that quiet tone of voice I'd always thought of as his Jenna voice, a bit slurred but unmistakable. The sudden riot of butterflies and heat going on below my belt made me realize that the Matty country had recruited an accomplice in the fight with my head. I couldn't look away from him. He kinda laughed, "Me? I need a new shirt after a spectacular fail at the beer pong table, but you?" Pointing to the jacket, with just a hint of an alcohol slur, he asked, "You cold?"

My heart was racing so hard he probably could hear. " No! I just, I wanted to get away and I came upstairs… and the door was open. I'm sorry. I wasn't looking for your room…I just… too much punch. This looks stalker crazy, doesn't it? I'm sorry. I wasn't touching or looking, well, except for the jacket" I was babbling, total crazy babbling and I couldn't stop. I realized my hands were clenched around his jacket like I was trying to choke the life out of the damn thing. The whole crazy of it all was just too much and if I didn't move, I was fainting for sure. With one final, "I'm sorry", I turned and tossed the jacket on the arm of the couch like it was on fire, just like my face. I couldn't even look up as I shuffled past him. Before I could get by, his hands were catching my elbows, holding me still and pulling me to face him. "Jenna, it's ok." And with little laugh, "Look at me, would you?" I looked up and forgot how to breathe. There were those eyes, that little smile, and for the first time since before formal, it was actually for me. I couldn't deny the butterflies or the way my whole body just leaned into his touch. My skin actually ached where he touch me, it was so sensitive.

He laughed, "I'm only a little worried you're out for my jacket's life." Cutting me off before I could even get started," And don't say sorry again! I'm not pissed." I couldn't help but smile and softly answer, "Ok". We stood there, eyes locked together, oblivious to anything else. Matty spoke first, just a tiny hint of the harsh, "I always did want to get you up here. Like this, you and me. Kinda of stupid fantasy of mine, I guess. " As he spoke, his hands gently moved up my arms to slowly snake back to rest around my waist. The Matty country of my heart was in all out riot of joy. As his arms were pulling us closer, my hands came up to rest on his amazing abs. It just seemed like the most natural thing for them to be doing. My head was spinning. Having Matty this close after all this time was way more intoxicating then the punch. There was no avoiding how much I missed him. There was also no avoiding the very large evidence pressing into me that his body was just as happy as mine was to be this close.

"Then I went and blew it", his face and voice falling, "I should have been so much more for you. I was an idiot not to realize what I... " he trailed off. That hurt there had me whispering back, "Don't." Taking his face in my hands, "You're not the only idiot. I could have been braver and been honest..." "You be braver?" he softly interrupted. One hand still wrapped around my waist, his left moved up to my face. Brushing my hair aside, his hand curved around my cheek, "Hamilton, I don't think that's possible. I was the coward and lost you because of it. It fucking killed me that night to watch you kiss him. " Anger crept in his voice as he spoke, at himself or me, I didn't know. "My girl and my best friend." Then like a flash, the anger drained away, leaving that broken look in his eyes that was a hard punch in my gut. He lowered his face to mine until his forehead just was rested on mine. He whispered, "If you'd just waited. Just a little, I was almost there."


	3. Chapter 3

"Your girl?" We broke apart at that yell so fast I went tumbling back on the bed as my legs hit it. It was Jake, looking beyond pissed, standing in that wide open doorway. Matty softly said, "Oh fuck" as he turned, running both hands through his hair quickly. Jake stalked into the room looking only at Matty, not even glancing as me. I was paralyzed; I couldn't believe this was really happening. "When the hell was Jenna your girl? What the FUCK McKibben?" Matty moved toward him, "Dude, I'm sorry, this isn't what you think..." "I asked you a fucking question Matt!" Jake bit back, his hands clenched into fists. Matty's voice was hard as he answered," Jenna and I were" he paused "together…". "Obviously!" Jake yelled, cutting him off. "I was asking when! And if either of you considered that was something I might have wanted to know? How long?" He turned to look at me and the pain written across his face froze me. I could only shake my head. "How long were you lying to me?" "Jake, I didn't..." "Don't Jenna, don't. Cause what I just saw says otherwise!" Jake was actually shaking as he spoke. My protest curled up and died on my tongue. How could I argue back when, I knew, he was kinda right? I'd have said something about Matty if it hadn't mattered so much. Keeping silent didn't make it less true.

Matty did try, "She didn't lie to you, man. It was before you two ever started..." Turning quickly back to Matty, Jake yelled back, "She did! You both did, man!" For just a second Jake was still, I could almost hear his thoughts churning. "Wait, wait a minute, you did tell me. You just never said who it was." Jake continued, pointing at Matty. With a humorless smile, "She's your secret camp girl, isn't she? The amazing but never seen girl?" Matty looked at me as he answered, "Yeah, but it didn't end there". I still couldn't speak; I couldn't even remember what words were. Still looking at Matty, his back to me, Jake asked, "How long was I an asshole? How long Jenna?" His voice shook as he turned his head, "It was you, at formal, he was looking for. And you..." Jake moved close to me. His voice was very soft, "Did I mean anything to you? Do I?" His hands were open, palms up, and I had the lunatic urge to just throw myself into them. My heart was actually physically burning in my chest. This was beyond the worst moment to realize, for sure, there was a rival territory staked out in my heart for Jake.

My voice shaking, "Jake, of course you do! Matty and I, before formal, it was over. It's been just you." Jake threw up his arms, "And I'm just supposed to believe that? After what I just saw?" He froze for a minute, "Hell, is he why we were waiting? Going slow?" With a venom I couldn't have imagined, "Didn't need to rush if you were getting enough of his dick, I guess?" Getting slapped in the face was good times compared to the blow of that question. I could only get out a horrified, "No!" before Matty, exploded forward. He grabbed Jake's shirt and growling into his face, "Fucking watch how you talk to her. There's been nothing between us since you stole her!" Jake pushed Matty back hard enough to break his grip, "Hard to steal something you don't know about, best friend!" Jake punctuated that by lunging forward, he and Matty starting to wrestle each other. It was the absolute worst. I couldn't even process what I was seeing as Jake struggled to keep a hold around Matty's neck. Suddenly, there was Jamie pushing through. He and another guy were pulling the two apart. That's when it hit me. The noise had drawn attention and the entire rest of the party. The hallway was packed as people gathered around for the show. As the guys separated the two, Jake pushed Jamie's arms back. "No need! I'm fucking out of here! " he turned, the crowd at the door scattering as best they could. "Damn right you are!" Matty shouted back. Everything was blurring for me. The sounds of them trading the last insults, the excited crowd at the door, I couldn't even see. My relationship was a car wreck sideshow and I just stood there in the ruins. Fate sucks.

Tamara seemed to materialize at my side, "OMG Drama-spolsion! Did Jake really catch you and Matt in mid-nasty? Not commenting or anything if there was a red cup induced Matty slip but... ", she asked, her hands beating out each word. "NO!" I yelled. "That is not what happened! No slip, no tongue, and absolutely no nasty! And where did you hear that?" "On the way up here", she squeaked out giving me a totally nervous grin. "That's the treading one, at least." "Oh that is it! I'm done!" I marched out of the room, the sea of people seeming to dive out of my way. Tee was calling my name but I knew if I tried to talk to anyone, even her, I was either melting down or committing an act of violence. I could see the front door as I raced down the steps, it was even open! I tried to focus on that and not the conversations cutting off as I passed. But fate was not done running me over. Sadie materialized in front of the door, like the unstoppable villain in a horror movie, blocking my only exit. In a viciously sweet voice she simpered, "Oh Jenna! Jake was looking for you, I sent him upstairs. I told him I thought you'd gone up there, with Matty." She moved in close and with that bitchy smile ten feet wide, "You're welcome. Slut." A sudden splash of beer curtained between us, I looked to my left and there was Ming! Empty red cup in hand, she looked even more shocked than Sadie! As Sadie shrieked and tried to wipe her face, to the chorus of laughter and catcalls, I pushed past. But stopped just outside the door, I was getting the last word with someone tonight!

"You do know it's not how I look or you look, Sadie. That's not why you don't have a chance with him. It's the being a mega thunder cunt thing!" The cheering and cups that rose up for that fueled a wave of smug that carried me forward. For one glorious childish moment, it was enough to hold this horrible night at bay. Until I saw Matty, getting pulled still arguing back up the front path by Jamie. They were heading straight for the door and me. Whatever Sadie was saying behind me disappeared into nothing. Matty and I had frozen, but Jamie slurred on, "It's not a real blow out until there's a fight about a piece of ass. Hot little choice, bro, but not good form to be tapping Jake's." He laughed. Matty swore. And me, my legs started moving, and I didn't care where they were headed since it wasn't here. It was almost like a surreal carnival ride. Don't think, just move. I heard my name being called behind me but I wasn't stopping.

Twenty minutes later I was in front of my house. The tears made a haze of everything. My auto pilot legs had apparently walked me home. I'd run myself out quickly. Track and field not my thing, even on a good day. The walk home was one big shame spiral. I'd hurt Matty by choosing Jake, Jake by not telling him about Matty, and myself by giving them both a reason to never speak to me again. Add in along with the guilt the heartache that both Matty and Jake caused me, and I hurt so bad I was almost numb. One thing I knew for sure, every time I'd considered not telling Jake as protecting him was a lie. I'd been scared, stupid and selfish. On that long walk, I even felt a little bad for what I said to Sadie. It was true, but the way I'd said it, that was way too her brand of nasty. Not me. But then, maybe, awful was me? Maybe I deserved this? It was the closest I'd ever been, since I first got that letter, to thinking that dying might be better than being a teenager. Not actually, of course, but it was seemed the perfect way to describe this level of suck. I quietly let myself into the house, my parents still not home. It was like fate was throwing me a bone, a tiny little bone.

I headed back to my room. After slowly taking off my sweatshirt, I just stood there. My feet had carried me home but to what? Is there a high school version of a crazy loner cat lady? Whatever that might be seemed like my coming future. I lay down on bed and, after a quick look in that mirror, was back up washing my face. There was nothing for this heartache but at least I could remove the evidence smeared all over my face. As I stood in my bathroom, staring back at myself in the mirror, I just felt lost in my misery. So much so, that I almost missed the knock at my door. I heard it again and raced there, like whomever it was would vanish if they had to wait 3 extra seconds. I flipped the shutters open and forgot to breathe as I met his eyes.

*** Author's note- Thank you all so much for the reviews! And for loving this show along with me! I don't own a piece of Awkward, just playing in the sandbox while they cruelly make me wait until 2012***


	4. Chapter 4

It was Matty! He was really there outside, leaning up against my door. The only thing that I could even think was a very tiny oh. I did my best to open the door without breaking our gaze.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Yeah", I answered, my voice softer and calmer than I thought possible. He moved in as I stepped aside. He looked completely disheveled with a shirt buttoned wrong, smelling like beer and his hair an actual mess. It honestly might have been the hottest I'd ever seen him. "Why are you here? What about the party?"

"Ah, that's still raging. Wasn't where I wanted to be." He was looking at me, his eyes roaming up and down my body, taking me in. "When you left…I wanted to make sure you were ok and safe".

With a shake of my head, "Don't know about ok, but I'm home safe. Thanks"

"Good, good." He ran a hand through his hair and walked farther into the room as he spoke. He gave me that sign he was nervous before continuing, "Jamie held me up, I couldn't catch up at first."

My throat tightening I replied, "Guess he didn't want me ruining more of the party."

"No! Once he realized I was heading after you, he just wanted to make sure I had a shirt on. Running half naked on a Saturday night, generally not a good plan for avoiding attention from the cops." Matty chuckled. That's when I realized I'd seen that shirt on Jamie earlier tonight. Matty really must have been buttoning in the dark as he walked over. It struck me as ridiculously funny. I laughed and then Matty started to really get going. We both were laughing way harder than we should have, like we'd been parked at the bong. I could almost feel an actual hiss of pressure blowing off between us as the giggles were dying down.

Matty walked over to the bed. "What went down there, what Jamie said, I'm sorry." he paused as he sat himself down. "It was so not the plan", he sighed, running his hands through his hair. He sounded so like a little kid the way it came out, I couldn't help it but chuckle again, just a little.

"You had a plan? I guess it's safe to assume it involved more beer, less fighting"? I folded one leg under me as I sat down next to him. He gave me a half smile and very gently tapped my other leg with his fist.

"Yeah. Too bad we only covered the beer." We smiled at each other while my stomach turned a flip flop or six. He sat up straight, "I was looking to prove I was ok. That I could hang near you, with you, without drama. And, that lasted until exactly the first second I was alone with you."

"Oh I don't know. It took us more than just the first second. I think we hit 15 seconds", I replied with a quirk of a smile. He smiled back at me but then seriousness washed over his face.

"I wasn't expecting to find you there. You looked beautiful." He stopped, the way he was looking at me made my heart skip. I was blushing crimson as he started again. "I'm sorry" he said in a rush, spreading his hands wide. "I'm sorry it went down like that."

"Me too. Hurting Jake, while becoming your infamous side piece was not how I meant to spend this night." I tried to keep my tone light as I answered but it didn't quite work.

Matty leaned in close to me, "Don't get me wrong Jenna. I'm sorry it went down like that but I'm not sorry it's out. I was trying to be the bigger guy, you know. I saw how he's been treating you, how he talks about you. I thought, he's doing it right. So I'll just have to get over it. " He paused for a moment,"You know, I was so amped cause he was right to be pissed. You're his girl. And if I'd just have manned up, maybe you wouldn't be."

As what he was saying hit me, I was almost nervous. "I was, not so sure I can say I am. Not after tonight." I fell backwards on the bed. "I should have told him." He bounced down next to me.

"Maybe. But if it's over, it'd be his loss. And maybe my gain?" He brushed a strand of my hair off my face. I pushed his hand away.

"Whatever this is between us, and I haven't figured that out, doesn't mean I'm just falling back in your arms!" I flushed with a little anger. "I care about Jake. He likes me and never treated me like I was a suicide freak". I didn't say it, but the accusation that Matty did hung between us like a huge neon sign.

"I know, I fucked up, after a while I tried to leave it because you seemed happy." As Matty spoke, it became clear I wasn't the only one a bit angry. "It didn't help that it pissed me off looking at you two. I mean, you moved on in like 10 minutes with my best friend. That hurt, Jenna. He's my best friend. " My anger popped like a bubble. Sounds silly but I'd never let myself consider how fast that formal night went from friends to more than friends. His words earlier tonight about how it'd killed him to watch us kiss were haunting me.

Matty quietly continued, "But tonight, it actually felt good to fight for you. Don't want to hurt my boy. But I've been trying to move on and…Jamie thinks I'm nuts. All these hook ups I walk away from. They're not you."

"You mean those other girls, this past month…" the words came out of me in soft little breaths. Even knowing I'd ended things, it'd hurt to watch him seeming to sleep through the skanky squad. It have actually made diving in with Jake even easier. But if he really didn't? His eyes seemed to be the only thing I could see as he replied, "It's just didn't feel like it does with you. And not just hooking up. Know what I mean?"

I whispered back, "Yes". And screwing up some courage, "I'm sorry. I didn't choose Jake to hurt you. It was supposed to be friends and then...it just seemed easier. It really wasn't my like I was ready to move on in my heart."

With a half-smile, Matty reached out and gently touched my face. "Jenna, hopefully you still feel that way. See, I'm not ready to move on." He tilted his head, "And since I figured that out tonight, I'm going to keep fighting for you." He emphasized that with a silly wiggle of his eyebrows as his smile grew crazy wide.

My heart officially seized control, Matty country was completely at the helm. I leaned up to brush my lips against him. Matty responded by crushing me against him. We just fit back together like two puzzle pieces. The feel of his lips, the weight as he rolled on top of me, my legs spreading as his leg pressed between them, it was perfect, insanely sexy and perfect. As he moved down my neck I gasped, his lips leaving a trail on my skin that seemed to burn. And when he groaned my name? I was soaked and ready right then. My hand slid up under his shirt as his head came back up. I was kissing him back furiously, trying to say with every bit of my body how much I'd missed him. The way he was kissing me back was leaving me feeling almost drunk and spinning. I couldn't think it felt so good. And as his hands followed all over me, he never stopped that insanely talented mouth and those lips. What I'd done with Jake had felt good but it wasn't this. There was an extra something with Matty, there was something else when he touched me. It was like we were fiercely trying to get as close to each other as we could. He slid his hand under my leg, hitching it up a bit. Just the little extra pressure that caused down below as we shifted was enough to make me moan his name.

"Holy shit", he growled out. He lifted up his head to catch my eyes. It was like the moment just hung there forever. We were the entire universe for just that perfect moment. Right up until my head caught up. I was totally going to have sex with him. That's exactly where this was heading! Exactly what I wanted? But what about Jake? How do I do this without making that mess worse? How is that fair? What was running through my mind must have been marching across my face.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Matty asked quietly, his hand just touching my cheek.

"Jake, this is really not fair to Jake, or you or me." I mumbled. While my body was sending up a huge veto on stopping, my head and my reluctant heart pushed forward. "I want to, I do, but…this is not good, I mean, with Jake and things hanging out there? I hurt him enough." Closing me eyes I continued, "I can't keep collecting unresolved relationship issues. This is…"

"Not right?" He heaved a huge sigh and rolled off me. He looked over and then pulled me close against his chest. "You're a pain in the ass, J-town. A pain in the ass that's right, but still." As he wrapped me in his arms, he gently kissed the top of my head. With my entire body was still ramped and ready, it was a little close to a pleasant torture. Looking down I could see he was having a similar problem. We both tried to be very still, minimal rubbing for sanity's sake.

He murmured into my hair, "I want you back, Jenna. No undercover, no hiding. No stealing you..." As I lay there wrapped up with him, I wondered if maybe, maybe I didn't short circuit fate, cause you can't. If it's fate, no matter chance or choice, does it always end up steering you the same way? Did my choices just make it harder to get there? I couldn't be sure. But as I lay there wrapped up with Matty, after all the drama of the night, it certainly seemed like fate might not be entirely out to get me.

I was warm. That's the only thing that registered at first. I was awake but my brain didn't know that just yet. I was warm and there was too much light. As I slowly shifted, a few other things came into focus. My feet felt way too heavy, which I eventually realized was because I was still wearing my shoes. I was in a bed but why shoes? My tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth with a hideous dry and fuzzy feeling. Thank you, red cup punch. And as I shifted again, I bumped into another body. My eyes flew open; the light causing them to slam shut immediately, my second try was a bit more slowly. There was my Matty, totally passed out! He was next to me, giving the softest little bit of a snore. So many feelings ran through my head, I'm surprised it didn't explode. I'd never seen him asleep before and I couldn't look away. Shock and awe covered most of it, with a tad bit of total embarrassed. I mean, morning breath and bedhead wasn't exactly my most appealing. I'd never woken up next to anyone before. Ok, well, anyone I'd be concerned about kissing.

As I lay there, just taking in the sights, it was so strange. We'd done lots of sleeping together but we'd never done actual sleep together. I know what he looked like naked but this seemed more revealing. His face looked soft without the usual animation of his personality. I couldn't explain exactly what it was, but my heart seemed to beating awfully high up in my chest. In a good way. I tried to shift just a little but it was enough that he moved. With a sniff and a yawn, he opened his eyes. He looked totally confused but it immediately mellowed into a soft smile.

"Good Morning", I said, looking down out of an unexplainable wave of shy. I peeked back up to his huge smile.

"You look real cute in the morning, Hamilton", Matty yawned as he stretched his arms up and then wrapping me close. It was officially the most unexpected morning of my entire life. Yesterday morning was a lifetime ago, and today? I didn't know what fate had in store for me, I just hoped it'd wait long enough for me to brush my teeth.

*** Author's note - This was a really hard one to write, I swear those two boys were wrestling over who was going to be at that door.** **Thank you all so much for the reviews! next chapter should be up soon***


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